This world is filled with about as much betrayal and awfulness as Youko's first few weeks/months in Fuyumi Ono's Twelve Kingdoms, except that Myranda is a native of this place and you'd think she'd have learned by now.

One of the characters I was looking forward to seeing, Leo the anthropomorphic fox, has already showed up and left (but probably not for long?). His appearance and behavior reminds me of Disney's Robin Hood.

Writing-wise, this still isn't my cup of tea. I haven't seen anything in the way of errors (ETA: whoops, not quite right - a few here and there), but it desperately needs tightening up. That whole bit with the blind priest was designed solely so that Myranda would have someone to describe herself to. Might as well have parked her in front of a convenient mirror - it would at least have been over quicker.

At this point, I doubt I'll be buying the rest of the trilogy, although I will still sigh over the pretty cover art. I particularly like the art for The Rise of the Red Shadow.